Spoiler alert: Wait, what? A Makers product gets over 4.0 from me? Read on.... I’ve made no secret that out of all the big boys, Makers is probably my least favorite distillery. While I have enjoyed a few (Makers 46, and 101 proof), their cask strength whiskeys have ranged from “not worth the cost” to “total shit show”. So it is with much surprise and some pleasure that I present the following review. Nose blasts out of the glass with dark fruits, saddle leather, oak, concord grapes, barrel charcoal, caramel, and vanilla. On the palate the fruits come through big time making this quite a delight; fig, date, cherry, plum, and bananas foster sauce after being flambéd. Brown butter, leather, tobacco, and grape leaf in the mid-palate. Everything is rich as hell; the bourbon equivalent of a slice of double chocolate cake. Finish is satisfyingly long and consists mostly of stone fruit and oak with a dash of Grains of Paradise. The ride from the palate to the finish is a smooth one. And while this does show all of its 111 proof, the scalding heat of other Makers releases is blissfully absent here. Mouthfeel is full and grippy. Heavy oiliness coats the entire mouth with ease. Who knew that what it took for Makers to ascend to greatness was to make a fruit forward whiskey? At $70, I have ZERO regrets this time. And that’s a great thing to type as I was starting to feel like my relationship with Makers was becoming almost abusive (“It will be different this time, I swear!”) Nice to finally score a hit.